Ron's Talent
by LiterateQuill
Summary: Well, Voldemort's back and the wizarding world is completely worried and strained. Seeing as this is the case, Dumbledore decides to remove some of the tension by throwing a ball. Ha. Far from removing the tension for Ron, he piles even more of it up. N


Ron's Talent

Picture the Great Hall, will you? Can you see the four house tables? Can you see the staff table? Oh, looky there! It's Professor Snape! Oh how I'd love to stuff those scrambled eggs up his nose! Erm, sorry. That's just a tad off topic I suppose? Anyway, you can see the Gryffindor table right? Can you see the boy with red hair who's…um. Merlin! Stuffing his face?

Oh well, yes, I suppose that was me at the age of sixteen. But I can assure you, I've grown up in the space of five years. I used to be a frightening ordeal at the dinner table. Well, heck! It didn't really matter! Breakfast! Lunch! Tea! You name it! I was a pig whenever food was involved. But I'm happy to say that I've tamed myself (much to my fiancé's approval).

Who's my fiancé you ask? Ha! I'm not telling you just yet. But, at the moment, I am going to tell you how it all started…

I was sitting at the Gryffindor table stuffing my face as usual. I was in pure bliss. Nothing made me happier than a fork, a certain kind of food and an empty stomach. Yes, many people have told me to sit up straight and put reasonable amounts of food in my mouth, but I say: Who cares? I don't understand why people fuss.

As I was finishing my bacon and eggs, Harry came and sat down beside me. "Hey Ron!" he said as he pulled some kippers towards him.

"Hey!" I said as I scanned the table for a napkin. I may eat like a pig, but that doesn't mean that I carry around the past crumbs of breakfast, lunch and dinner around with me. When I had finally found a napkin and wiped my face and hands I turned around to Harry who was just getting started on his kippers.

"Where's Hermione?" I asked.

"No idea." said Harry in between mouthfuls. "Library probably."

I stared at him for a moment. "What, and not have breakfast? Classes start in ten minutes."

Harry laughed. "Why do you care anyways? Hermione can manage all by herself. People don't have to have breakfast you know."

I stared at him unbelievingly. "No way! How could anyone survive without breakfast?"

Harry laughed and pushed away his empty plate. He turned to me with a grin on his face. "You know Ron, people can survive without breakfast. It might not be in their best interests, but trust me, it can be done." Again he laughed and then stood up. "Come on. Transfiguration first."

I had to bid all the wonderful food farewell as I picked up my book bag and followed Harry. Just as we were starting to climb the stairs, we walked into Hermione who looked thoroughly disgruntled. We tried to talk to her, but she didn't see us. Instead, she rushed into the Great Hall.

"She'd better hurry." said Harry as he continued climbing with me right behind him.

"Yeah…" I said. "She'll make it though. I mean, she's Hermione Granger. She's just not capable of being late for class… is she?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "Nope. She definitely isn't capable of missing class. You'd have to chain her to a wall before she was late for one."

Our conversation ended there, because we were right in front of McGonagoll's classroom. When we entered, almost all the class was already assembled. Harry and I crept to the back of the classroom where we usual sat and took our seats. A couple of minutes later, Hermione walked in.

She scanned the classroom and when she saw us, she scampered over, her book bag flailing around. Quickly, she took a seat next to me and started rummaging around for her transfiguration textbook. "Oh I can't stand those girls sometimes!" she muttered to herself.

"Who?" I asked.

Hermione's head whipped around to face mine. "Oh you know, Parvati and Lavender. They were up 'til midnight discussing their secret crushes! I couldn't fall asleep!" Hermione all of a sudden smiled at me. "You and Harry are particularly popular with them."

She giggled at the look on my face. Pretty soon, Harry asked what was the matter, but he just got Hermione to giggle even louder. Finally, when Professor McGonagoll walked up to the front of the class, Hermione ceased giggling. Her usual manner had finally kicked in.

The lesson was about Animagus' and how to become one. I thought it was rather more of a 'How to' kind of thing. All I can say is that I was definitely considering getting together with Hermione and Harry to try and become Animagus'.

My thoughts were put on hold, because the lesson had flown by and McGonagoll was now assigning homework. "Twelve inches on the history of Animagus'!" she said. It was greeted by groans from the class. Not surprising though, because people very rarely enjoyed homework on the week leading up to the Christmas holidays.

Yes Christmas was around the corner and I still hadn't gotten anything for Harry or Hermione. It was easy for Harry. Stroll into a Quidditch store, grab any random item off the shelf and he'd love it! Hermione on the other hand, was a bit more difficult. Books? Nah! One can only go so far with books. I need to give her something else this year.

The thought of what to get Hermione stayed with me all through the day. All through Charms and Herbology! It was all I could think about! Why on earth was I thinking so much about one measly present? Anyway, it wasn't as if I could give her anything big anyway. I i _am_ /i poor.

Finally, I was shook out of my thoughts at dinner. Harry was poking me hard in the shoulder with the blunt end of his fork. "Ron! Dumbledore's about to make an announcement. Listen up!"

I must say, I was annoyed by my sudden drop back into reality, but nevertheless, I listened. Dumbledore was standing up, his arms spread wide as he beamed at the students. "I know that these are hard times." he began. Harry's eyes all of a sudden took on a cold appearance. "I've decided to break a limited amount of tension by holding a ball. A Christmas ball to be exact. It will be held on the twenty-fourth of December from eight to twelve o'clock at night." That must have been it, because he soon resumed his conversation with Professor Flitwick.

The hall erupted with the loud giggling of girls. _Well, Dumbledore sure has done it, _I thought._ He's just piled more worries onto my mind. Now I've got to worry about You – Know – Who, Death Eaters, and…girls._ It was true, if I didn't go with a girl to the ball, I'd look like a complete prat, but then again, I'd be saved from unnecessary pain. Tough decision.

All of a sudden, something drifted into my mind. A memory. It was the memory of the row I had had with Hermione after the Yule Ball. She had said something to me and it had stayed in my mind. _"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does and not as a last resort!"_ Yes, I'm not sure if those were her exact words, but that had been the general idea.

I suddenly became aware that Hermione was talking to me. "Hey Ron, are you OK?" she asked. "You've barely touched anything on your plate."

I mentally shook myself. "Sorry." I said quietly.

"Sorry? What are you apologizing about?" asked Hermione uncertainly.

I shook myself again. What was happening? I could no longer think straight! "Nothing." I mumbled. _Well, at least you didn't say 'sorry' again._

That night I went to sleep with my mind full of questions. The main one being: _"How on earth am I going to ask Hermione to that ball?"_

Author's Note: Hello 'ello! Before I add the next chapter, I'm going to wait for some reviews, so start reviewing!


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